Popped Rice Balls

Popped Rice Balls (Khoi Moa/Murkhi )

Makes:300gms                                                                                     Time:10 mins

Popped Rice Balls or Khoi Moa/ Murkhi as it is known in Bengali. Yes, this dish is a Bengali specialty. It is a simple, sweet and tasty snack which you can make in minutes. A near-extinct recipe as mothers are moving on to unhealthy fast food such as chips, noodles, and burgers. 

Ingredients

Popped rice   200gm

Jaggery         100 gm

Water             2 tbsp

Ghee              2tsp

Preparation

Take a kadhai/ sauce pan put the jaggery and water and keep on stirring while letting it boil until it becomes bubbly and starts sticking to the stirring spoon. Then add the ghee. Switch off the flame.Keep on stirring for a little more time to cool it. Add the popped rice and mix well so all of it is uniformly coated with the jaggery. Make sure it is not sticky.Then take a handful of the mixture and press it between the palms to shape it into a ball. Your snack is ready

Chirer Pulao / Beaten Rice Pilaf

Chirer Pulao / Beaten Rice Pilaf

Chirer Pulao / Beaten Rice Pilaf is a traditional Bengali Dish prepared with a rice which is flattened into flat light dry flakes. These flakes of rice swell when added to liquid, whether hot or cold, as they absorb water, milk or any other liquids.

Ingredients:

• Beaten Rice/flatten rice:   1 cup

• Potatoes:                        1 medium thinly sliced

• Beans:                            1/2 cup cut into small pieces

• Cauliflower:                     Finely chopped a handful

• Green chilies:                  2 finely chopped

• Oil:                                1 tbsp

• Ghee:                             2 tbsp

• Groundnut:                     2 tbsp fried

• Sugar                             1 tbsp

• A pinch of turmeric powder

• Raisin:                            1 tbsp 

• Ginger:                           1 tsp Finely chopped 

{You can make it with only potato i.e (without the other vegetables) it tastes good too.}

Preparation:

1.First, soak the beaten rice in some warm water drain away the excess water.Keep aside.

2.In a skillet add some oil and cook the vegetables adding some salt and turmeric to it

3.Once cooked add the beaten rice as well the rest of the ingredients mix them evenly and switch off the flame.Serve hot.

Baked Veg chops/Cutlets

                               Baked Veg chops/Cutlets

INGREDIENTS(MAKES 15-20 MEDIUM CUTLETS):

• ½ tsp of cumin seeds,
• ½ tsp of fennel seeds,
• 6 cloves,
• 3 green cardamoms,
• Small ½ inch cinnamon stick,
• 5 peppercorns,
• 2-3 green chili,
• 1-2 dry bay leaf
• 2 medium sized beetroot, cut into small pieces,
• 2 medium sized carrots, cut into small pieces,
• 2 small potatoes, boiled and mashed,
• 1 tsp of grated ginger,
• 2 green chilies, finely chopped,
• 2 tsp of peanuts,
• Salt to taste,
• Sugar to taste,
• Green coriander, finely chopped
• 4 tbsp oil

FOR THE COATING:

• 2 tsp of rice flour
• 5-6 tbsp of gram flour
• 3 eggs

PREPARATION:

1. First, grind the roasted whole spices and keep it aside.
2. In a skillet, take 1 tsp of oil and lightly fry the peanuts. Keep them aside and in the same oil, fry ginger and green chilies till you get a light aroma.
3. Into this add the grated beetroot and carrot and saute well. Cook until they are soft and can be smashed. Now add the mashed potatoes, salt, sugar, ground roasted spice powder and chopped coriander leaves. Mix well.
4. Cool the mixture and make 15-20 medium cutlet balls.Take medium sized balls and pressing it softly on the palm give it an oval shape as shown in the picture.
5. In a separate bowl beat the eggs, in another take 2 tsp of the rice flour and in a third container keep the gram flour. Roll each ball into the egg batter and then roll them in gram flour and then rice flour.
6. Now warm the oven and place them in a greased baking pan and bake them at 200.Try to turn them over after 10 mins to give nice even coloring.Now, bake it for 10-15 minutes till it turns a little brown.To get nice crispiness like the fried ones grease them with oil ones you turn them.
7. Serve them piping hot with onion rings, ketchup.

Gluten-free Meat Lasagna

Gluten-free Meat Lasagna

Ingredients:

For the Pasta Sheets:

1/4 cup buckwheat flour

1 cup rice flour

2 cup tapioca flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1¼ cups water

1 teaspoon olive oil, plus more for brushing

• For the Sauce:
  • 8 cloves fresh garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 5-6 whole tomatoes 
  • 1 jar of tomato paste
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon dried basil leaves (or 1/4 cup fresh, finely chopped)
  • 2 bay leaves (optional)
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (optional)
  • salt and pepper to taste

For the Lasagna:

• 200 gm ground meat
• 250 gm cheese grated
• 200gm sauteed capsicum
• Instructions:

• For the sauce:

Step 1

Heat the olive oil in a medium-size pot over medium heat. 

Step 2
Add garlic and saute for one minute.
Step 3

Then, add tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, basil, bay leaves, thyme and salt/pepper.
Bring to a boil and immediately reduce to a simmer.Simmer for 10-15 minutes to let flavors meld. (Can simmer longer if desired for a thicker sauce with a deeper flavor).
Step 4

Sauce is ready

For the Pasta Sheets:

Step 1
Add the rice flour, tapioca, starch, eggs (or cornstarch), salt and water to a mixing bowl. Mix and dissolve everything together well. You can also do it rice soaked in water for two hours grind it and then add the rest ingredients to make a uniform fine batter and make sure no lumps are there.
Step 2
Add 1 teaspoon of oil. Cover the liquid and let rest for 30 minutes.
Step 3

Warm a skillet add some oil pour 1 ladle of the liquid and spread the batter/liquid out evenly with no lumps.Cook it on low flame for two minutes until the upper portion is just done with no stickiness.
Step 4
Remove it and one can cut it into fine sheets or let it be as it is.Your lasagna sheets are done.Don't forget to brush some oil on them.

Alternative method:

Step 1
In a mixing bowl add all the dry ingredients mix well and then add all the other knead it into a nice firm dough.Leave it aside for half hour.
Step 2
Now make small balls of equal quantity. Don't try to make too small balls then on flat surface flatten them into rectangular shapes and either you cut them into thin strips or you can use it as it is since rice ones tend to break up easily I suggest let them be big sheets only.

For the Lasagna:

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Step 2
Place the ground meat into a skillet over medium heat, add the garlic, oregano, salt, and black pepper to the skillet. Cook the meat, chopping it into small chunks as it cooks, until no longer pink, about 10 minutes. 

Step 3
Place 2 noodles(if cut into strips) otherwise put two strips across each other side by side into the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking pan; top with a layer of the tomato-basil (pizza-pasta) sauce, a layer of ground meat and veg mixture, and a layer of the cheese. Repeat layers twice more, ending with a layer of sauce.

Step 4
Cover the dish with aluminum foil.In case, the sheets which are cooked(first method) cooking time 20 mins is sufficient and need not cover with aluminium foil.

Step 5
Bake in the preheated oven until the casserole is bubbling and the cheese has melted about 40 minutes. Remove foil sprinkle top with the mozzarella cheese and bake until cheese has begun to brown, about 10 more minutes. Allow it to stand at least 10 minutes before serving.

Cheesy flat bread from Rice flour and buckwheat

   Cheesy flatbread (roti) 

  from Rice flour and buckwheat.This simple recipe can be carried along when going for a trip.

   Ingredients

•          1 cup chopped spinach leaves
•          1/2 cup grated cheese (75g)
•          2 eggs
•          3 tablespoon rice flour
•          2 tablespoon buckwheat flour
•          2 tsp tapioca flour
•          2 tbsp oil
•          Salt 
•          Pepper

Preparation

      Step 1

     Wash, peel and chop spinach leaves.

      Step 2

      Place into a bowl and add the grated cheese, eggs, flours, salt, pepper leaves and oil.Combine and make a nice smooth dough and divide them equally into balls.

      Step 3

     Now press them with your palms to make some flatbreads(rotis). Heat up the cast iron frying pan on medium heat.

      Step 4

     Cook the bread and flip them when one side is slightly brown. After cooking both sides put some oil and make sure to flip it to get the pieces of bread evenly greased. Serve hot with some pickles.  

Simple Gluten free Cupcakes

How to make simple Gluten free Cupcakes

Ingredients
3/4

• 3/4 cups rice flour
• 1/4 cup buckwheat flour (reasons to have)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoons baking powder
• 1⁄4 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar (if you like your cupcakes very sweet, add a little more)
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence (optional)

Preparation

1. Set the oven to 190C. 
2. Take the butter into a bowl and beat it until softened. Add the sugar, flour, salt, eggs and milk and whisk until the mixture is smooth. Leave it aside for an hour for better-puffed cupcakes since we are not using traditional wheat flour.
3. Use a traditional-style ice-cream scoop, or spoon, to divide the mixture between all the paper cases.
4. Place muffin tins in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, then swap over the position of the tins over and bake for a further 3-7 minutes, cupcakes are a light golden colour. 
5. Remove the tins from the oven. Leave the cupcakes to cool in the tins for a few minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool.

Sweet crepe (patishapta)

Sweet crepe (patishapta)

Ingredients

Rice : 1cup
Buckwheat : 1/4cup
Dry dates : 3-5pieces finely chopped
Salt : 1 pinch
Milk : 1/2 cup
Grated coconut : 1/4 cup
Jaggery : 100 gm
Ghee/oil : 1 tbsp

Preparation

Soak the rice and dates in water for 2 hrs .Grind it into a coarse paste try not to add more water but substitute with milk while grinding.Make a pourable batter by adding milk.In a separate bowl mix the grated coconut and jaggery evenly .To make it tastier you can add Khowa or solidified milk to the mixture.

Now take a skillet add a little oil and warm it pour some of the batter on the skillat and spread it out. Cook it for 2 mins until golden brown flip it cook the other side add some of the coconut mixture on one edge so that you can roll it. Spread some ghee on it. Best when consumed warm.

Pizza (free from gluten!)

PIZZA (free from gluten!)

If you just want to buy the mix you can get it here

Ingredients for Pizza Dough

• Rice flour - 220 gms. (2 Cup)

• Buckwheat flour-1/2 cup

• Olive Oil - 2 table spoon.

• Yeast - 1 tea spoon.

• Sugar - 1/2 tea spoon.

• Salt - 1 tea spoon.

• Xanthum gum -2tbsp

Ingredients for pizza toppings

• Pizza Tomato Sauce - 4 table spoon.(Homemade Pizza Pasta Sauce recipe)

• Tomato - 2

• Capsicum - 1

• Onion-2

• boneless chicken-300gm

• Mozzarella Cheese - 50 gms.

• Pizza cheese-50 gm 

• Mushroom-200gm

• Black Pepper - 1/4 tea spoon.

• Oregano

• Red chilly flakes

• Olive Oil - 1 table spoon.

Pizza Dough

1. Take some warm milk in a bowl add the yeast and sugar and add some rice flour on it and keep it aside.
2. Warm some water in a pan and add 1 tbsp of rice flour and make it a sticky paste and then add the other flours, Xanthan gum and salt.Now knead and make it into a soft dough which sticks a little and leave it aside to blow up.

Pizza (Whole)

1. Cut the onions capsicum and the mushroom into medium pieces and saute in a skilllet. Keep aside.Fry the chicken pieces until just cooked or better you can broil them and just cut them into small pieces
2. 
   
3. Take the Pizza dough and divide into small balls without disturbing or trying to make it smooth. Dust it with a little dry rice flour and pat it into 4 inch round disc on a rolling board (Don't try to make it very big/thin otherwise the base will crumble). The Pizza base should be thick from the corners.
4. 
   
5. Preheat the Oven at 220 Degree Celsius.Spread some dry rice flour on the Pizza baking tray and put the Pizza base in it. Top up the Pizza Base with Tomato Sauce leaving about 1 cm space at the corners. Spread the Sauce evenly in all directions. Now place the chicken pieces and spread Capsicum slices mushroom onions at a little distance from each other on the Tomato sauce.  You can also spread little Olive Oil on all the corners.
6. 
   
7. You can create the topping according to your taste and preferences. Just keep in mind that the vegetables should not be extremely moist, else the base will not get crispy.
8. 
   
9. Put the tray in the preheated Oven and set the temperature at 200 Celsius for 20 minutes. when it is almost done add the cheese and bake it for the last 5 mins.Crispy and tasty Pizza is ready. Cut the Pizza into slices from the center and serve it hot.

-----------------------------------HAVE FUN BAKING AND EATING IT!-----------------------------------

Pav Bhaji (Gluten free Bun bread + vegetable)

Pav Bhaji (gluten free bun/pav + vegetable)

Pav bhaji is a fast food dish from Maharashtra, consisting of a thick vegetable curry usually prepared in butter and served with a soft bread roll called Pav or Pao. 

Makes : 8 to 10 pavs                                                               

Ingredients

• 3 cups  flour(rice 2cup white or red rice and buckwheat 1 cup) 
• 2 tablespoon oil or softened butter
• 1.5 to 2 teaspoon fresh yeast Or ½ to ¾ tablespoon dry active yeast 
• 2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt or as required
• 1 cup warm water (It is good to keep some more)
• 1 tbsp curd
• 2 tsp Xanthum gum
• 4 tbsp of topiaco flour/corn starch
• Some milk for brushing
• 2 Eggs (optional)
• 100 gm/ 4 ounces Topiaco flour (optional)

Instructions

1. Take some warm milk in a bowl add the yeast and sugar and add some rice flour on it and keep it aside.
2. Warm some water in a pan and add 1 tbsp of rice flour and make it a sticky paste and then add the other flours, Xanthan gum and salt.In a circulating manner keep on mixing adding the rest ingredients.If required add warm water and gently keep on mixing until you get a nice batter which has a thick consistency but not too liquid.
3. Spray pan or pie plate with cooking spray. Using a 2" scoop, scoop dough into 9 mounds in the pan. I place one mound in the corner, then scoop 8 mounds of dough side by side the pan in the arrangement shown below.
4. Dip your fingertips into warm water and use to smooth out the tops of the rolls,continuing to wet fingers as needed.You wont be able to get a very  smooth finish as in wheat flour
5. Cover with a dry towel and let rise in a warm place 45 minutes to 1 hour.
6. Just before 5 minutes you bake the pav, preheat the oven at 350 degrees Celsius. for a regular oven, heat both the top and bottom elements. 
7. Then brush the pavs buns with some milk. This gives a golden color to the pav.
8. Place the baking tray in the center rack in the preheated oven at 350 degrees Celsius for 25 to 30 mins or till the tops turn golden. 
9. Remove them from the tray and place on a wired rack or tray, so that they don't become softened and moist from the bottom due to heat condensation.
10. Brush melted butter or spread softened butter on top of the pavs. this is an optional step.
11. Serve the pavs warm or at room temperature with any curry.

Recipe Notes

1. Instead of kneading with hands, you can also knead the dough in a food processor or in an electric mixer with paddle attachment but it turns out healthier and tastier when kneaded with hands

Vegetable recipie:
Potato:2 medium size
Cauliflower: 1 small
Capsicum:1 medium
Carrot:2 small
Peas: 100gm
Ginger :7-8 cloves
Garlic:1/2 inch
Green chillies:3-4
Tomato:4-5 medium
Corriander leaves small buncoil for frying
Butter
Lemon juice:1 tsp


For the masala:
Cumin/jeera 1 tsp
Corriander/Dhania:1/2 tsp
Red chilly:2
Black pepper
Cardamon
Cloves
Nutmeg

 Preparation:
1.First boil the vegetables adding salt turmeric powder and oil
2.Add half of the ginger garlic paste
3. Make a fine powder of the masala mixture in a grinder and add it when the vegies are almost done.
4.Smash the cooked vegetables nicely dont let it be too dry.Add the leftover ginger garlic paste. add butter and lemon juice as well nicely chopped corriander.Serve it hot with the buns.

Best Buttermilk Waffle

Best Buttermilk Waffle

Makes : 3-4 (Depending on size of waffle iron)

The secret to great waffles is a thick batter, so don't expect a pourable batter. This recipe can be doubled or tripled

Ingredients

1 cup       buckwheat flour(rice flour can be used instead)

1/2 tsp     salt

1/4 tsp     baking soda (optional)

1              egg, separated

7/8 cup    buttermilk

2 tbsp      unsalted butter, melted

Preparation

Heat waffle iron. Whisk dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. Whisk yolk with buttermilk and butter.

Beat egg white until it just holds a 2-inch peak

Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients in a thin steady stream while mixing gently with a rubber spatula.(Do not add liquid faster than you can incorporate it into the batter.) Towards the end of mixing, use a folding  motion to incorporate ingredients. Gently fold egg white into the batter.

Spread appropriate amount of batter onto waffle iron. Following the manufacturer's instruction , cook waffle until golden brown, 2 to 5 minutes. Serve immediately. (In a pinch, you can keep waffles warm on a wire rack in a 200-degree oven for up to 5 minutes.)

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Buckwheat Cookies

MAKES : About 60 Cookies

The dough can be baked on ungreased sheets, but lining the sheets with parchment paper will make cleanup easier. When the cookies come out of the oven, they are very soft. Let them cool on the sheets for a minute or two before transferring them to a rack.

Ingredients

2  cup         Rice flour (You can use buckwheat as it is tastier)

1/4 cup       Buckwheat flour

1 tsp           Salt

1 tsp           Baking soda

200 gm       (2 sticks / 1/2 pound) Unsalted butter, softened

1 cup          Light or dark brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup       Granulated sugar

2                 Large eggs

1 tsp           Vanilla extract

2 cups        Semisweet chocolate chips

Preparation

Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk flour, salt and baking soda together in a medium bowl; set aside.

Either by hand or with electric mixer, cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 mins with mixer set at medium speed. Scrape sides of bowl with rubber spatula. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat until combined, about 40 seconds. Scrape sides of bowl

Un-baked cookies!

Add dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined, 15 to 20 seconds. Add chocolate chips and stir until combined.

Drop batter by tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheets, spacing pieces of dough about 1 inch apart. Bake, reversing position of cookie sheets half way through baking (from top to bottom and front to back), until cookies are light golden brown and outer edges began to crisp,  8-10 minutes. Cool cookies on sheets for 1-2  minutes, before transferring to cooling racks with wide spatula.

Suggestion:you can make this cookies entirely with buckwheat believe me its much more tastier than a whet one.You can also cut off the baking soda for a healthier recipe.